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Synonyms

narrate

American  
[nar-eyt, na-reyt] / ˈnær eɪt, næˈreɪt /

verb (used with object)

narrated, narrating
  1. to give an account or tell the story of (events, experiences, etc.).

    Synonyms:
    recite, detail
  2. to add a spoken commentary to (a film, television program, etc.).

    The Oscar-winning actor recently produced and narrated a new documentary on climate change.


verb (used without object)

narrated, narrating
  1. to relate or recount events, experiences, etc., in speech or writing.

narrate British  
/ nəˈreɪt /

verb

  1. to tell (a story); relate

  2. to speak in accompaniment of (a film, television programme, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See describe.

Other Word Forms

  • misnarrate verb
  • narratable adjective
  • narrater noun
  • narrator noun
  • unnarratable adjective
  • unnarrated adjective
  • well-narrated adjective

Etymology

Origin of narrate

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin narrātus (past participle of narrāre ”to relate, tell, say”), equivalent to nār(us) “knowing, acquainted with” (variant of gnārus; cognition ) + -ātus -ate 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She said the ability to clone human voices is becoming more sophisticated and could change authors’ interest in narrating their own stories.

From The Wall Street Journal

Agena narrated the audiobook for “Meet Me at Luke’s,” a guide that draws life lessons from the series, and is featured in the upcoming “Gilmore Girls” documentary “Drink Coffee, Talk Fast.”

From Los Angeles Times

For a great many American families, there is a single answer: the ones narrated by the English actor Jim Dale.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fittingly, it’s packed with fantastic tunes by local artists like Too Short, who narrates these retro misadventures and lets a younger version of himself lose a rap battle to a pair of ferocious female teenagers.

From Los Angeles Times

In what may or may not be a hint at the identity of one of the special guests, funk legend George Clinton narrates the clip.

From Los Angeles Times